Subaculear prong

[Mark Newton]

Hi Mark, thanks, but I am very sure that both are females, especially since one gave birth (but died very shortly after doing so).

Just looked at the links you originally sent and yes, going by the operculum...clearly I meant to write female....old age!

 

[brandontmyers]

Hi Mark, thanks, but I am very sure that both are females, especially since one gave birth (but died very shortly after doing so).

did all the scorplings die too???

 

[John Bokma]

Sadly yes. One or two tried to climb onto the mother. My best guess is that the mother gave premature birth/aborted. She died a few days later so even if the scorplings had survived until then they probably would have died anyway.

 

[Galapoheros]

I've kept scorpions on and off for some years but I haven't read nearly as much about them as many of you guys have. But even I have wondered what purpose this feature might serve. I'm leaning toward the depth gauge theory. It might be interesting to compare the length and number of sensing hairs at the base of the telson on scorps that don't have the subaculear tooth. Maybe there is generally more hairs and longer hairs on those sp than on sp that do have the subaculear tooth. Maybe some sp rely on sensing hairs to gauge depth more than sp that have the ST. It wouldn't prove anything but I think it would support the depth gauge theory even more.

 

[Mark Newton]

Maybe there is generally more hairs and longer hairs on those sp than on sp that do have the subaculear tooth.

Have you heard of the Isometroides genus? In Australia we have one recognised species Isometroides vescus, but another was described years back and synonomised. Basically they are identical. Each has a 5th tail segment that is smooth, but punctate (pitted) and each has a slightly elongated vesicle with no sign of subaculear prong. One form vescus has no hairs at all (virtually) on the 5th tail segment and vesicle whereas the other, angusticaudus is described as being hirsute with respect to the same segments (many hairs....I mean many). Work that out. Both specialised spider hunters....far as I know. But I've never studied this species in the wild...too difficult to locate.


This is the hirsute form (angusticaudus)...note the many fine sensory hairs on the last two metasomal segments.

 

[Galapoheros]

That's interesting. I just thought of something else, what about defense style and maybe the method of killing the prey. Some sp are fast about reaching over while others slowly reach over and are more deliberate. Maybe the ones that are more deliberate with the use of their tail tend to have more sensing hairs while the faster jabbers tend to have the ST. Ha, I'm really digging here. I've got a couple of scorp sp that blow that theory out of the water but maybe someone else can turn it into something .

 

[Mark Newton]

I've got a couple of scorp sp that blow that theory out of the water but maybe someone else can turn it into something .

Good luck...I'm stuffed if I know....:wall:

 

[kahoy]

i played on some Isometrus maculatus sub-adult exuvium, and it seems that it is sharp enough to penetrate to some inverts exo, but still not sharp enough to pierce a beetle's thick armour. and looking closely to it you can find plenty of hairs on the subaculear prong, still if it is used on leverage i think it cant take too much weight or pressure if compared to the aculeus.

 

[~Abyss~]

I was reading a book not sure what it was called but they say that the scorpion has pretty much retained the same structure for a long time. Were talking pre-dino when modern looking scorpions only much bigger started walking on land and started modifying their gills into what are now book lungs. But fosslis indicate that they were originaly long crustacians lobster look alikes with a long thin tail and "stinger" with no subaculear prong. I'm thinking it might be more of a defense mechanism than a hunting one. If it mainly dines on spiders it might be use to inject more venom on thinker membrane. Not that of a beatle exo-skeleton but mammal skin come to my mind. If it can help it inject more venom without breaking anything it might be an advantage. It seem like it could help retract the tail faster by using the SP to push back giving it time to run. I don't know just a hypothesis.

 

[EAD063]

I was reading a book not sure what it was called but they say that the scorpion has pretty much retained the same structure for a long time.

Here is a fossil from 110 million years ago courtsey of scorpion files... talk about retaining it's appearance.

http://www.ub.ntnu.no/scorpion-files/p_axelrodorum.jpg